Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell: The Descenders (2019)

    Quove’s deadly agenda has finally caught up with Cade, and now he must leave his home and flee once more, this time to the legendary floating city of New Sanctaphrax (Goodreads).

    A slightly convoluted plot aside, this final installment of Stewart and Riddell's epic series must first and foremost be regarded for what it truly represents: The immense scale and magnitude of how far the co-authors have come in their development of the Edge itself. The scale at which the series comes to be written is admirable, and though the tenth novel gave a small piece of this, it left something to be discovered, and this thirteenth novel fulfills it. Upon first inspection it is easy to see the flaws: the slower pace, the exorbitant amount of characters, and the lack of a strong antagonist, but in taking a step back to examine this conclusion in the overall scope of the series prompts a much greater appreciation. That being said, the flaws still have an impact on the quality, of course, so it is by no means a perfect novel. Overall, though, it is a much more thought-provoking and serene novel than perhaps any of its predecessors, and yet it still manages to unite the tales prior to it, although perhaps with too many endings in all of the loose endings needing to be tied up. Those tallow-hats are also pretty sweet. 8.3/10

Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell: Beyond the Deepwoods (1998)

    Abandoned at birth in the perilous Deepwoods, Twig Verginix is brought up by a family of woodtrolls. One cold night, Twig does what no woodtroll has ever done before – he strays from the path (Goodreads).

     In terms of world-building and visual accompaniments, Stewart and Riddell's series is perhaps unparalleled. Countless fantastical creatures being unveiled through the eyes of a relatable and likable protagonist in Twig is a foolproof strategy used brilliantly by the authors. The countless adventures he experiences throughout the plot might seem a bit repetitive after a while, but the imagination and variety implemented in each is enough to make them each unique in their own right. The fast paced, high-stakes adventures are balanced out with slower ones which also serve to develop Twig's character, and so pacing is far from an issue, but that being said, there is some room for character development overall. The climax on the Edge itself is executed well, with the final declaration of independence from our protagonist being a solid emotional moment. Although the authors do not gamble on much in terms of development and plot, the imagination showcased in the world they set up make it an excellent novel. 8.6/10